Truss structure



Jan. 1l, 1944.7 M. MILLER TRUss STRUCTURE Filed Jan. '7, 1942 zzew IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 11, 1944 33amv UNITED STATES ATENT `OFFICE TRUSS STRUCTURE Max Miller, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 7, 1942, Serial No. 425,935

10 Claims.

This invention relates to trusses used in the construction of auditoriums, hangars and other structures, one of the objects being to provide novel joints of inexpensive construction, whereby an articulated truss may be formed of wood, without requiring the use of metal castings, pivot boltsv or other heavy metal parts, which add materially to the cost of construction, and at times are diicult to obtain.

A further object is to provide a wooden truss, the bearing members of which maybe formed readily and at low cost, at the place where the construction job is in progress, or wherever the simplest sort of facilities are available.

Another object is to provide a truss having bearing members so construted as to permit rapid assembly of the truss units with each other and with their supporting structures, the weight of the units serving to hold the members of the bearings properly in engagement with each other, Without the use of supplemental fastening means.

A still further object is to provide a wooden truss the bearing members of which are held against displacement while in use, but are movable freely, relatively to each other, to compensate for up and down swinging movement of the truss units, due to variations in temperature, loads, etc.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of F devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrange- :z:-

ment of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment oi the invention herein disclosed, may be made Within the scope of what is claimed, without de- 1,';

parting from the spirit of the' invention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a truss embodying the present improvements, parts being ybroken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan wherein parts are broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken apw proximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a top plan of the structure shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an elevational View showing a modication.

The numeral 5 marks a tie, made of wood, steel or other suitable material and of unequal transverse dimensions, the vertical dimension bee ing appreciably greater than the transverse dimension.

. Each end of the tie is provided with an enlarged, abutment-like end-element 2 but one of which is shown in the drawing. The tie 6 is moulded into the abutment 2.

The numeral I marks the top of a column, the Wall of a building or equivalent structure, and on the wall or column are set the abutment-like ends of the tie 6. The elements 2 are made of plastic material, such as concrete. In the interest of brevity, concrete alone may be mentioned hereinafter, but without prejudice to the use of some other plastic material. On its inner side, the abutment 2 is provided with a seat .3,l the intermediate portion of which is an arc 'of a circle, the ends of the seat, vertically considered, being tangential to the arcuate portion ofthe seat, as shown at 4. The abutment 2 may be reinforced in any suitable way, including, if desired, reinforcing rods 5, disposed as required, relatively to the seat 3. The tie 6 extends upwardly above the surface of the seat 3.

The letter T designates a truss unit, which may be of any preferred form, wood being used ordinarily in the making of the unit. The truss unit T embodies a lower chord I and an upper chord 8, the upper chord including end members 9, disposed acutely With respect to the lower chord 'I. At their ends, the lower chord 'I andthe members 9 are slotted vertically, as shown at Il), to receive the upper portion of the tie 6, adjacent to the ends thereof. Wedges II occupy the angles formed `by the truss members 9 and 1. Securing elements I2, such as bolts, pass through the truss members 'I and 9 and through the wedges I I, the securing elements passing also through washer plates i4, or equivalent devices, on the truss members 'I and 9.

Bearing members I5, in the form of metal' straps are provided, and are attached by securing' elements I6 to the truss parts 'I and 9. The inter- The plastic iillers i9, of course, reinforce the straps l and maintain them in the arcuate form shown in the drawing.

Up to this point, the description has dealt with the construction at the abutment end of the truss unit T. As to the construction at the inner end of the truss unit, Fig. 1 shows that the truss members 'i and 9 have mitered engagement, shown at 25, the truss unit embodying a plastic head 2B, preferably formed of concrete, and reinforced in any preferred way, as shown at 2 l. The head 2.2i has iirm engagement with the truss members l and 9, because those members are supplied with superficial, transverse, anchorage grooves 22, or with some other equivalent anchorage means. In the end of the head 20, there is formed an arcuate seat 23, constructed similar to the seat 3 in the abutment 2.

The numeral 24 designates a second unit of the truss structure, constructed like the unit shown in the left hand portion of Fig. 1, the strap I5 of that unit, and the corresponding ller I9 being received in the seat 23 of the head 20. The construction is such that the truss units may have a slight up and down rocking movement, responsive to load, temperature changes and the like. Noting the portions 4 of the seat 3 in Fig. l, the truss unit which cooperates with the abutment 2 can have the aforesaid vertical rocking movement, and the same is true of the truss unit 2t, which cooperates with the seat 23 of the head 20.

The straps or bearing members l5 afford a smoothly working, metal-to-concrete bearing between the truss unit T and the abutment 2, and at the same time, wood may be used in the making of the truss unit.

In Fig. 7, parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numerals already used, with the suiiix b. In this form of the invention, metal bearings straps 26 are secured in the seat 3b, and here, a metal-to-metal contact is afforded. The same construction may be employed in connection with the seat 23 of the head 20.

In Figs. 5 and 6, parts hereinbefore alluded 'to have been designated by numerals already used, with the suiiix a.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the abutment 2a is enclosed within a U-shaped sheet metal housing 27 having side arms 28 which extend inwardly beyond the inner vertical surface 29 of the abutment 2a. U-shaped, sheet metal anchor strips 3u are provided, and include long outer arms 3|, shorter inner arms 32, the bends 33 connecting the arms. The long outer arms of the anchor strips 3U are in engagement with the side arms 28 of the housing 2l'. The bends 33 are embedded in the abutment 2a, and the short inner arms 32 extend across the seat 3a and project beyond the end surface 2S of the abutment 2a. The central tie 6a extends between the arms 32 of the anchor strips Si), and is connected thereto by securing elements 34. Supplemental ties t5 are disposed on opposite sides of the main tie @a and are secured to the arms 3l of the strips 35i, and to the arms 28 of the housing 2l, by attaching elements 36. If desired, the strips 3B and tie lia may be dispensed with, the ties 35 alone being used, along with the part 2l.

The structure comprising the tie 6 and its abutment-like elements 2, may be made wherever the simplest sort of facilities are available.

The truss unit T, including the head 2li and the plastic llers i9 may be made wherever the simplest Working facilities are available. The device calls for no special or heavy iron `or metal parts, or the machining thereof, wood may be used to a maximum extent, and a strong and satisfactory Iarticulated truss results.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. In a truss structure, a truss unit comprising converging terminal members, an outwardlyconvexed strap secured to the terminal members and comprising a bend spaced from the end surfaces of the terminal members, and a nller cast in the space formed by the bend and the end surfaces of the terminal members, the ller being made of plastic material, for example concrete.

2. In a truss structure, a truss unit comprising converging terminal members, and a head in which the inner end portions of the terminal members are embedded, the inner end portions of the terminal members having integral, projecting parts affording anchorage in the head, the head being formed of plastic material, for example concrete, the head being provided with a concaved seat, disposed opposite to the end surfaces of the terminal members.

3. A truss structure comprising a unit provided at one end with an outwardly convexed, abutment-engaging surface, and a head wherein the opposite end of the unit is embedded, the head being made of plastic material, for example concrete, the head being provided with an inwardlyconcaved seat, the concavity of the seat corresponding in shape to the convexity of said one end ci the unit.

4. in a truss structure, an abutment having a concaved seat, a tie extended across the seat and terminally embedded in the abutment, a wooden truss unit terminally bifurcated to receive the tie, metal members secured to the unit on opposite sides of the bifurcation and conveXed to engage the seat, and llers held in the spaces between the metal members and the adjacent end of the unit, the abutment and the fillers being made of plastic material, for example concrete.

5. In a truss structure, a U-shaped housing comprising a bend and side arms, an abutment tting in the bend and fitting between the side arms, the abutment being provided with a transverse, concaved seat, LJ-shaped anchor strips, each comprising a bend and inner and outer arms, each outer arm being in engagement with one arm of the housing, the bends of the anchor strips being embedded in the abutment, the inner arms of the anchor strips extending across the seats, a tie embedded at one end in the abutment and extended between the inner arms,

i means for securin-g the tie to the inner arms,

means for securing each outer arm to the corresponding arm of the housing, and a truss unit mounted at one end to rock in the seat and bifurcated to receive the inner arms and so much of the tie as is located between them.

6. In a truss structure, a U-shaped housing comprising a bend and side arms, an abutment ntting in the bend and tting between the side arms, the abutment being provided with a transverse, concaved seat, 'LJ-shaped anchor strips, each comprising a bend and inner and outer arms, each outer arm being in engagement with one arm of the housing, the bends and portions of the inner arms being embedded in the abutment, transversely spaced ties, means for securing the ties to the outer arms and to the arms of the housing, and a truss unit mounted at one end to rock in the seat.

7. In a truss structure, a U-shaped housing comprising a bend and side arms, an abutment tting in the bend and fitting between the side arms, the abutment being provided with a transverse, concaved seat, U-shaped anchor strips, each comprising a bend and inner and outer arms, each outer arm being in engagement with one arm of the housing, the bends of the anchor strips being embedded in the abutment, the inner arms of the anchor strips extending across the seats, a tie embedded at one end in the abutment and extended between the inner arms, and other ties disposed on opposite sides of the first-specied tie, means for securing each of said other ties to one of the arms of the housing and to one of the outer arms, and a truss unit mounted at one end to rock in the seat and bifurcated to receive the inner arms and so much of the rstspecified tie as lies between them.

8. In a truss structure, an abutment having a concaved seat, anchor strips each comprising inner and outer arms and bends connecting the arms, the bends being embedded in the abutment, the outer arms extending forwardly along the opposite outer surfaces of the abutment, a tie extended between the inner arms, means for securing the tie to the inner arms, and a truss unit having one end mounted to rock in the seat, the truss unit bein-g terminally bifurcated to receive the inner arms and so much of the tie as lies between them.

9. In a truss structure, U-shaped housing comprising a bend and side arms, an abutment embraced within the bend and between the side arms, the abutment being provided with a transverse, concaved seat, transversely spaced ties, and means for securing the ties to the arms of the housing, and a truss unit mounted to rockin the seat.

10. A truss structure constructed as set forth in claim 9, in combination with U-shaped anchor strips, each comprising a bend and inner and outer arms, each outer arm being in engagement with one arm of the housing, the bends of the anchor strips being embedded in the abutment, the inner arms of the anchor strips extending across the seat, a tie embedded at one end in the abutment and extended between the inner arms, and means for securing the tie to the inner arms,

MAX MILLER. 

